Was going to walk along the Champs Elysee today, but it was so fine, that I decided to journey out to Chartres. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site. Secularly, it's known for being the best preserved representation of Gothic architecture. It survived the revolution in France because the explosives expert said that to demolish it would create too much ruble and block the roads. During WWII, the famous stained glass windows were removed and stored in the countryside for safe kepping. It's truly grand and spectacular, with towering ceilings, brilliant stained glass, flying buttresses everywhere, and instricate scuplture all over.
On the ecclesiastical side, it's a Marian pilgrimage site. Somewhere back in the 9th century, Charles the Bald (what a name ... too bad he didn't just shave it off ike Aggasse!) gave Chartres the Sancta Camisia, a piece of cloth that Mary was supposed to have worn when she gave birth to Christ. In the 12th century, a fire burned down most of the building, but the fabric was found miraculously preserved, and motivated benefactors and townspeople alike to build another cathedral in 30 short years to celebrate Notre Dame. The small bit of fabric that remains is encased in an ornate glass case, which seems as odds with such a humble garment. Picture in your mind an aged piece of linen (the fabric, not the collective term), gently yellowed, and you won't be far off.
There is also a labyrinth inscribed in the stonework of the cathedral main floor, where the faithful would make a symbolic pilgrimage in honor of Mary. I would have liked to walk it, but it was mostly covered with chairs. Interestingly enough, the near rose window pictured above is equidistant from the corner of floor and wall, so that if the wall fell into the church, the window would cover the labyrinth.
I took the afternoon tour with Malcom Miller, a rather crusty-looking, but actually gentle British scholar who has focused and continues to focus his life on this cathedral. He discussed two stained glass windows in particular. The first was donated to the cathedral by the shoemakers' guild of the time. It features a couple of corner shoemaker images, but the body of the window recounts the parable of the Good Samaritan and the biblical account of Adam and Eve's fall. It was the first time I'd ever thought about the link between the two. Adam, Eve and the Waylaid man representing humankind, and the Seed of the Woman and the Good Samaritan representing Christ.
Miller also reviewed the "zodiac" window. It shows the symbols of the zodiac, and how they were used to note the passage of time during the year.
I think my favorite window, besides the glorious rose windows, which were too far away to actually tell if there were visual stories, was the one of Mary in the blue robe, holding the Christ-child. Something about the expression on her face, or the luminescent quality of her robes just entranced me.
Sadly, I wasn't able to climb to the top of the north tower. The last tour commenced just after Miller's tour began. Sad, since P. Frommer said that there were more afternoon tours, and I'd expected to be able to ascend. Should have read R. Steve's info bit instead!
I did take the tour of the crypt, but it was all in French, and the guide was no Christine. In fact, there was no interaction between him and the other five people on the tour ... we might have been using an audio guide. The crypt, like the rest of the cathedral, was bone-chillingly cold. G's, t-shirt, sweater, raincoat with liner, alpaca shawl, hat, gloves, and I was still freezing. Sad to say, the crypt was a non-event. No bones, just less-fancy stained glass windows for a bunch of little chapels.
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